MARILYN MAZUR - Celestial Circle (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Marilyn Mazur’s work has always expressed a free-spiritedness beyond idioms and borders. Born in New York, raised in Denmark, she has contributed powerfully to improvisation on both sides of the Atlantic, and her resume has included stints with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Gil Evans as well as 14 years on the road with the Jan Garbarek Group. In recent years her own groups have been the primary focus and the adventurous, song-oriented “Celestial Circle” has been active since 2008. The present disc is the group’s first recording. Material intersperses songs and instrumentals penned by Mazur with collectively improvised trios and duos. Singer Josefine Cronhom (who previously worked with Mazur in the Percussion Paradise ensemble) has her ECM debut here and old friends John Taylor and Anders Jormin make welcome returns. ecm
Tracklist :
1    Your Eyes 5'49
(John Taylor)
2    Winterspell 6'10
(Marilyn Mazur)
3    Kildevaeld 3'53
(Marilyn Mazur)
4    Gentle Quest 2'30
(Anders Jormin, John Taylor, Marilyn Mazur)
5    Secret Crystals 2'43
(Marilyn Mazur, John Taylor)
6    Temple Chorus 2'51
(Marilyn Mazur)
7    Antilope Arabesque 6'44
(Marilyn Mazur)
8    Chosen Darkness 2'05
(Marilyn Mazur, Josefine Cronholm, Anders Jormin)
9    Among The Trees 4'13
(Marilyn Mazur)
10    Color Sprinkle 2'20
(Marilyn Mazur, John Taylor, Anders Jormin)
11    Tour Song 5'09
(Marilyn Mazur)
12    Drumrite 4'33
(Marilyn Mazur)
13    Oceanique 2'14
(Marilyn Mazur, Anders Jormin)
14    Transcending 2'07
(Marilyn Mazur)
Credits :
Marilyn Mazur - Percussion, Drums, Voice
Josefine Cronholm - Voice
John Taylor - Piano
Anders Jormin - Double-Bass

AZIMUTH - Azimuth / The Touchstone / Départ (1994) 3xCD Set / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
Azimuth - Azimuth
1 Sirens' Song 4:11
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
2 O 6:48
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
3 Azimuth 12:14
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
4 The Tunnel 9:14
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
5 Greek Triangle 2:04
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
6 Jacob 8:47
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
Azimuth - The Touchstone
1 Eulogy 10:22
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
2 Silver 6:26
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
3 Mayday 5:27
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
4 Jero 6:18
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
5 Prelude 5:33
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
6 See 10:46
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
Azimuth With Ralph Towner - Départ
1 The Longest Day 6:27
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
2 Autumn 11:06
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
3 Arrivée 7:48
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
Touching Points
4 From The Window 1:09
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
5 Windfall 4:32
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
6 The Rabbit 2:34
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
7 Charcoal Traces 4:32
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
8 Départ 10:25
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
9 The Longest Day (Reprise) 3:44
John Taylor / Norma Winstone
Credits:
Composed By – John Taylor
Lyrics By – Norma Winstone
Organ – John Taylor (tracks: 2-1 to 3-9)
Piano – John Taylor
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Synthesizer – John Taylor (tracks: 1-1 to 1-6)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn [Fluegelhorn] – Kenny Wheeler
Twelve-String Guitar [12 String Guitar], Classical Guitar – Ralph Towner (tracks: 3-1 to 3-9)
Voice – Norma Winstone
Azimuth (1977-1980) ECM 1546-1548 [3CD-Set]

MIROSLAV VITOUS - Journey's End (1982) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Bassist Miroslav Vitous recorded this quartet session in 1982 with John Surman on soprano and baritone saxophones and bass clarinet, John Taylor on piano, and Jon Christensen on drums. Unavailable in the U.S., the disc includes two remarkable pieces by Surman, the lilting 3/4 "Tess" and the churning, wildly unpredictable "Paragraph Jay." Taylor weighs in with the closing track, "Windfall," another shimmering entry in 3/4 time. Vitous' nine-minute opener, "U Dunaje U Prespurka," inspired by a Czech folk song, is a marvel of gradual development and abstract grooving. "Only One," a rubato meditation that Vitous dedicates to his late father, finds the leader switching from upright to electric fretless bass. Surman's rhythmic clicking of keys on bari sax serves as the foundation for "Carry On, No. 1," a wholly improvised piece; Vitous intuitively sends it into high gear about halfway through with superbly chosen low notes. Journey's End is highly recommended to those willing to search for it. by David R. Adler
Tracklist:

1 U Dunaje U Prespurka 9:18

Miroslav Vitous
2 Tess 5:56

John Surman

3 Carry On, No. 1 5:08
John Surman
4 Paragraph Jay 6:16
John Surman
5 Only One 7:14
Miroslav Vitous
6 Windfall 6:17
John Taylor
Credits:
Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – John Surman
Bass – Miroslav Vitous
Composed By – Surman (tracks: 2, 4), Vitous (tracks: 1, 5)
Drums – Jon Christensen
Piano – John Taylor
Producer – Manfred Eicher

KENNY WHEELER QUINTET - The Widow in the Window (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and his sidemen on this quintet CD (guitarist John Abercrombie, pianist John Taylor, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Peter Erskine) had all worked together previously in different settings. Their familiarity with each other's playing came in handy for the frequently intuitive session which consists of explorations of six of Wheeler's complex but often-melodic originals (including "The Widow in the Window," "Hotel Le Hot" and the lengthy "Ana"). Kenny Wheeler's music occupies its own unique area between post bop and free jazz and virtually all of his recordings are recommended to adventurous listeners, including this one. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Aspire 12:24
2 Ma Belle Hélène 8:42
3 The Widow In The Window 10:21
4 Ana 14:43
5 Hotel Le Hot 8:28
6 Now, And Now Again 6:12
Credits
Bass – Dave Holland
Composed By – Kenny Wheeler
Drums – Peter Erskine
Flugelhorn [Fluegelhorn], Trumpet – Kenny Wheeler
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Piano – John Taylor
Producer – Manfred Eicher

JOHN SURMAN — How Many Clouds Can You See? (1970-1998) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 John Surman's second album remains his most impressive, anticipating the sound and scope of the European free jazz movement that would blossom in the decade to come -- boasting an extraordinary roster highlighted by trumpeter Harry Beckett, tenorist Alan Skidmore and bassist Barre Phillips, How Many Clouds Can You See? captures a singular moment in the evolution of British jazz, forging a new and distinct sound with few musical antecedents. Surman is a force of nature here, wielding his baritone, soprano and bass clarinet as if they were weapons -- no less impressive is his control, however, and no matter how far How Many Clouds Can You See? may travel, the music never lapses into self-indulgence or swallows its own tail. Jason Ankeny

Tracklist :
1 Galata Bridge  15:01
Alto Saxophone – Mike Osborne
Baritone Saxophone – John Surman
Bass – Harry Miller
Drums – Alan Jackson
Tenor Saxophone – Alan Skidmore
Trombone – Malcolm Griffiths
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Harold Beckett
2 Caractacus  4:19
Baritone Saxophone – John Surman
Drums – Alan Jackson
3 Premonition  4:27
Alto Saxophone – Mike Osborne
Baritone Saxophone, Flute – John Warren
Soprano Saxophone – John Surman
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Alan Skidmore
Trombone – Chris Pyne, Malcolm Griffiths
Trumpet – Dave Holdsworth, Harold Beckett
Tuba – George Smith
Written-By – Warren
4   Event (18:42)
4a Gathering
4b Ritual
4c Circle Dance
5 How Many Clouds Can You See? 3:25
Credits
Baritone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – John Surman (tracks: 4, 5)
Bass – Barre Phillips (tracks: 3 to 5)
Drums – Tony Oxley (tracks: 3 to 5)
Piano – John Taylor (tracks: 1, 3 to 5)
Written-By – Surman (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5)